A wide variety of plants is used as source of fibers which are used in various areas of industry. The overall quantity of fiber crops is very large and a process which increases the overall yield of fibers from a given crop is of outstanding commercial value. The process must be easily applicable and commercially attractive.
Amongst commercial crops which are of considerable commercial importance and which are used because of their fiber content there may be mentioned bast fibers of flax, hemp, jute, kenaf, ramie, agave fibers, pineapple fibers, coir or coconut fibers, kapok; and especially crops used for papermaking such as wood of various gymnospermae, esparto grass, straw, bamboo, bagasse etc.
Plant hormones are compounds which in very low concentrations cause a physiological response in plants.
It is known that auxins induce stem and root elongation. They inhibit the development of lateral buds, and they are used to propagate plants from excised stem sections called cuttings. Various auxins stimulate many kinds of cells to produce ethylene. Some auxins are known as effective herbicides. It has been hitherto the view that "Auxin is not a component of the stimulus for fiber differentiation" (Sachs, T. Ann.Bot. 36 189-197, 1972).
Gibberellins are known to promote extensive growth of plants, to induce cell elongation of various types of plant cells, including fibers. Gibberellin is known to increase the amount of fibers in plants. Gibberellin also promotes the growth of dormant buds.
Various books deal with Fibers; Vegetable Fibers, R. H. Kirby, Interscience Pub. N.Y., 1963 and Fiber Crops, Dempsey, Uni.Press of Florida, 1975. None of these provides information on compositions adapted to increase substantially fiber yields of plants used commercially for this purpose.